The present invention relates to a disc player, in particular to a disc player capable of allowing a smooth insertion/removal of a disc cartridge containing an optical disc into/from the disc player.
There are many types of disc players for recording information into and reproducing information from an optical disc, with one example thereof illustrated in FIG. 15A. Referring to FIG. 15A, a conventional disc player A comprises a cartridge transporting means D for transporting the cartridge B to a predetermined position in a cartridge holder C located within the disc player A, a lift means F for moving down the cartridge holder C and clamping the sane onto a servo mechanism E for recording information into or reproducing information from the optical disc.
FIG. 15B shows another conventional disc player A'. As shown in FIG. 15B, this conventional disc player A' comprises a cartridge transporting means D for moving a disc cartridge B to a predetermined position in a cartridge holder C located within the disc player A', a pivoting means H for pivoting a servo mechanism E' about a pivoting axis G arranged perpendicular to the transporting direction of the cartridge B. The pivoting means H is adapted to clamp the servo mechanism E' to the cartridge holder C for recording information into or reproducing information from the optical disc. In fact almost all disc players in practical use at present time are manufactured in a manner as shown in FIG. 15B.
Each of the conventional disc players A and A' shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B has a cartridge holder C formed with an opening C1 on the front side thereof, as shown in FIG. 16. In this way, the cartridge B is allowed to be inserted into or taken out from the cartridge holder C through the opening C1.
Further, as shown in FIG. 16, a guide plate C2 is provided on the lower inner side of the opening C1, so as to serve as a guide means for ensuring a smooth insertion/removal of the disc cartridge B into/from the cartridge holder C.
However, with the disc players A and A' shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B, there may be listed the following problems.
Namely, a disc cartridge B has a shutter B1 (FIG. 17B) capable of slidingly opening/closing the cartridge B, thereby allowing an information recording surface of the optical disc to be exposed during a process of information recording/reproducing, but allowing the same to be completely covered within the cartridge B when not in a process of information recording/reproducing, so as to protect the information recording surface of the optical disc from an ambient outside environment.
However, since the shutter B1 of the cartridge B is usually formed by a sheet member having a small thickness, such shutter B1 is likely to be twisted or warped on one or both of its surfaces. Thus, when the cartridge B (with its shutter B1 deformed) is inserted into the disc player A or A', the deformed shutter B1 will bumper into the edge portions of the opening C1. As a result, there is a possibility that the cartridge B will fail to be inserted into the cartridge holder C.
On the other hand, if the shutter B1 of the cartridge B has been deformed due to some sort of acting force occurring within the cartridge holder C and such a cartridge B is to be removed from the cartridge holder C, the shutter B1 will bump against an edge portion C3 of the guide plate C2 (FIG. 16). As a result, it will be difficult or even impossible for the disc cartridge B to be removed from the cartridge holder C.
In order to solve the above problem, it has been suggested that a part (corresponding to a passage for the shutter B1 of the disc cartridge B to pass therethrough) of the opening C1 be made larger than other portions thereof, so as to ensure a necessary clearance for a disc cartridge B (with its shutter B1 deformed) to be inserted into or removed from the cartridge holder C, as shown in FIG. 7A.
However, if a part of the opening C1 is made larger than other portions thereof, the opening C1 will have an increased height and this will undesirably increase the size of an entire disc player, hence increasing the manufacturing cost.